Fire-escape



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. 0. J. CLARK.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(No Model.)

No. 388,829. Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2. C. J. CLARK.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 388,829. Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

I/Z' n v/ N vcnzns. Phom Lnlmgraphur Washmglcm n c UNITED STATES PATENTOEEIQE.

CHARLES JAY CLARK, OF KEOKUK, IOWA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,829, datedSeptember 4, 1888. Application filed lll'ayS, 1898. Serial No. 272,922.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES JAY CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa,

5 have invented new and useful Improvements which the following is asimple device whereby the occupants ofa burn- 2o escape attached to 0arranged at each floor of the ing building may reach the ground insafety, and it consists in an improvenent upon the or dinary balconyfire-escape, whereby the facility of escape from the building isincreased.

The invention consists ina certain novel construction and arrangement ofparts, fully set forth hereinafter in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of the firethe frontof a building. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of one of theintermediate balconies, showing the ladders connecting them, andindicating in dotted lines the positions of the ladders when they arearranged parallel. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the balconies. Fig. 4is a detail view of one of the ladders.

Referring to the drawings, A A designate the balconies, ofany desirednumber,one being building, and the upper balconies are preferablyarranged vertically over the lower ones and under windows on the variousdoors. The balconies are provided with hatchways B, and adjacent to thelatter are arranged the supports or platforms 0, which are attached attheir inner ends rigidly to the wall, and are provided at their outerends with the steps D, which lead down to the balcony,

The ladders E E are provided at their lower ends with the fingers F F,which are adapted to be engaged in sockets G G in the said supports orplatforms, and the shoulders H H at the upper ends of the said fingersbear on the edges of the sockets, and thus throw the entire weight ofthe ladder and its load on the support or platform. The upper ends ofthe lad ders project through the hatchways of the upper balconies andbear against the ends thereof,

and they are held in place by studs I on the sides of the hatchways.

The supports or platforms are arranged, respectively, at opposite endsof adjacent balconies, thereby causing the ladders to be inclinedalternately in opposite directions. The hatchways, as will be seen, areformed in opposite ends of adjacent balconies, and the ladders arearranged so that their upper ends bear against the inner ends of thehatehways.

The main objects attained by the use of the supports or platforms abovementioned are, first, the balconies are relieved of almost if not all ofthe weight on the ladder, and, fur ther, the lower ends of the laddersare raised,

low are not interfered with. It will be seen that the Weight of theupper balconies or of the upper ladders does not accumulate on the lowerbalconies or supports, each ladder being supported independently.

Each alternate balcony is provided with an additional platform, K,provided with steps and sockets similar to the supports or plat formsabove described.

This fire-escape is applicable to hotels, theaters, and other publicbuildings, and the ladders are preferably arranged therein at all times;but they may be carried by the fire-cont pany, in which case they mustbe of a length to suit all heights of stories. If the ladders areapplied to a house having but small distance between the floors, theycannot be arranged as in the drawings, for the reason that the upperends of the ladders, which project above the hatchways, would come incontact with the upperladders, and therefore the ladders must bearranged parallel, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. \Vhen the laddersare arranged thus, they may be of any desired length, and the lower endsof the alternateladders are engaged in the sockets in the alternatesupports or platforms K, above referred to.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a fireeseape, thecombination of the balconies havim hatehwa s therein the su c 7 y a 1ports or platforms 0, arranged above the floors so that the upper endsof the ladders from beof the balconies and rigidly attached to the wallof the building, and the l idders mounted at their lower ends in socketsin the supports or platforms and arranged at their upper ends in thehatehways, substantially as specified.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination of the balconies having hatchwaystherein, the supports or platforms 0, having the sockets G G therein,the steps D leading to the balconies, and the ladders having fingers ontheir lower ends mounted in the said sockets, and shoulders H, bearingon the supports or platforms, substantially as specified.

3. In a fireescape, the combination of the balconies having hatchwaystherein, the supports or platforms 0 within the balconies, and thedetachable ladders connected to each pair of balconies and mounted attheir lower ends on the platforms or supports and at their upper endsinserted through the hatchways, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I. have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES JAY CLARK.

\Vitnesses:

A. L. PARSONS, W. S. MCNAMARA.

